Answers

Silent anxiety surrounded the now defunct portal. The planet stood still on its axis. The only sounds were those from the flapping wings of the newly arrived Paradoxans.

Hoshi knelt at the edge of the black scorch mark that had been swirling with life moments before. She wrapped her arms around her midsection, silently screaming in her head. There was no sign of Henry and the vortex was closed. Had she lost her son again?

Part of her listened to Malcolm and Travis report no sign of anything other than “shiny flying things.” Numbness encroached on her as she heard Jon trying to reach Trip. Silence was the only response. Then a faint voice without a familiar southern drawl issued from the communicator.

“Trip… no…” The voice sobbed.

Hoshi stood up and took the device from Jon. “Henry?”

Sobbing was the only reply. Hoshi paused, trying to access the Paradoxan implant. Slowly, she could hear the coherent thoughts of the surrounding Paradoxans as the matrix took hold. Hoshi focused on the voices coming through the communicator and the sobbing voice. “Henry? Henry are you there?” she asked as the matrix guided her vocal cords.

All Jon could hear were shrill whistles and clicks coming from Hoshi. The exchange took several minutes as Jon’s patience wore thin. He was elated to hear that Henry was at the northern dial with Trip. She was having a hard time understanding him. Jon was alarmed when Hoshi gasped and started to wail.

The air swirled around them as Malcolm and Travis arrived, landing the shuttle next to them.

“Hoshi, what’s wrong?” Jon put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Would he ever be able to offer her solace, to protect her from her demons?

Hoshi squared her shoulders and shuddered, wiping at her moist eyes.

Travis and Malcolm approached them, the Paradoxans clearing a path.

“Trip…Trip…Four had to stay behind.” Hoshi did her best to explain. “I’m so sorry, Jon. Trip’s dead.”

Jon shook his head, refusing to believe what he was hearing.

Malcolm’s back stiffened and he bowed his head.

“How?” Travis asked, his dark eyes dark and moist.

Hoshi continued to listen to the strains of melodious clicks and pitches. Tears of grief streaked down her cheeks. “The dials on the other side had to be activated to close the vortex… four dials… four sacrifices… Henry was one of the four. Henry came through…” Hoshi paused, sobbing uncontrollably. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. “Henry came through so he could touch me. Trip struck him once he found out that Henry had to return as one of the four. When Henry woke up, the vortex was closed.”

Jon started walking toward the shuttle, quickly wiping his sleeve across his face. His command persona took control. “Lieutenant, Ensigns. We need to go retrieve shuttlepod one.”

--

The Paradoxans near the shuttle parted like a sea of muddy colors, making room for Jon to maneuver the other shuttle in for a landing. Hoshi sat next to the door, her emotions bittersweet.

She felt elation and nervousness over meeting her son. Trip… She would always be thankful to him for her son. She would comfort Jon as best she could. They would comfort each other. They had both lost their friend. She had never known friendship like that before. Trip would always have a special place in her heart.

Hoshi looked out among the crowd of hovering Paradoxans. The angular movements of a man walking toward her disrupted their graceful, flowing movements. He was a beautiful sight to her eyes. She could feel Jon’s hand on her shoulder, as she held her breath.

Henry stood before his parents, his face stained with dirt and tears. He reached a trembling hand toward his mother, pausing mere inches from her face. He was afraid he was dreaming again. Surprise and warmth seized him as Hoshi clutched his hand to her face. “Mother,” he whispered.

“T’Pol to Captain Archer! Sensors have detected four Klingon battle cruisers in the vicinity. They are on an intercept course. ”

Jon snapped out of the tenderness of the moment. “ETA?”

“Ten minutes.”

“Sir, that isn’t enough time for us to get back to Enterprise safely,” Malcolm interjected.

Jon nodded in agreement. “T’Pol, take Enterprise away from the planet, maximum warp. See if you can hide behind one of the moons. Stay out of contact, unless attacked. We’ll do what we can down here.”

“Understood,” T’Pol stated and cut communications.

“What is the matter? Henry continued to stroke Hoshi’s face, refusing to break the spell of completeness around them.

“We’re in danger,” Hoshi replied, trying to ignore the threat. All she wanted was time with her son… or time period. She was tired of interruptions.

Malcolm came out of shuttle pod two with some weapons.

“We are going to have to defend ourselves. The Klingons are a violent species, always looking for a fight,” Hoshi said to her son, trying to get him to understand that they would have to cut their reunion short.

She felt Jon tap her shoulder. “Hoshi, it’s time.” Jon looked at Henry and gave him a bittersweet smile. He placed his hand over Henry’s, pressing it against Hoshi’s cheek. Here stood everything he had always wanted in life – a family. Now that family was threatened.

Henry could see the worry in his father. The only fear Henry had ever known was that of the great cascade, that which had claimed so much and so many. Surely the Klingons were not as dangerous as the great cascade.

Henry broke away from his parents, his robes of golden hues flowing about his form. They watched as he communicated with three of the beings surrounding him. He was forceful, yet serene.

A new flurry of activity radiated throughout the Paradoxans on the ground. Several took to the air, rising until they were out of view.

“Sir, I suggest we take to higher ground for our best tactical advantage,” the taciturn armory officer suggested to his captain.

“Henry, will you come with us?” Jon pleaded with his son. Five minutes with him was not long enough to replace what he had hoped would be a lifetime with his son.
How could fate be so cruel to him.

“Father…” Henry approached Jon. “No…worry…fear…no…”

“What do you mean?” Jon was puzzled.

“Henry…love…Father.” Henry placed his palm against Jon’s face in the same manner as he had with Hoshi earlier. Henry would have his parents. He would protect them and his kind no matter what the consequences.

Jon’s communicator chirped. “Sir, the Klingons are gone,” the serene Vulcan voice reported as though it were an everyday occurrence.

Jon looked at the communicator as though he were hearing things. “What do you mean gone?”

“All, but one of the battle cruisers has been destroyed. The other one has retreated. Sir, we are surrounded by Paradoxans and are on tactical alert,” T’Pol said.

Jon stared at Henry, not willing to believe what his son may have done. “Henry…did you destroy the Klingons?” he whispered. “Did the Paradoxans destroy them?”

Hoshi intervened. She had been watching the interplay between father and son, not wanting to intrude on what had previously appeared to be Jon's limited time with their son. “Henry, what has happened to the Klingons?” Hoshi vocalized in the language he truly knew.

Henry turned his gray-green eyes to her. They were brimming with tears. “I have forfeit my life. I ordered the destruction of those who threatened us. One ship was left alive to warn their kind, never to trespass in Paradoxan space again. In giving the order, I have forfeit my life. I was responsible for their deaths. Death is unacceptable…”

Hoshi grabbed Henry by his broad shoulders and shook him. “NO! Come with us. Instead of execution, can you enter exile? Come with us…” Hoshi repeated in desperation, tears of frustration streaming down her face.

Henry answered her by stroking her dark hair. “Mother. I would taint your race. The Paradoxans would shun them…”

“Then they can shun us. I don’t care. I’ve lost so much to them already! I don’t care!” Hoshi’s desperation to keep her son by her side made her dark eyes wild.

Jon was by her side trying to comfort her. He couldn’t understand what was being said but he knew it wasn’t good.

“Mother, the Paradoxans would make powerful allies for your Starfleet. You should not sacrifice that alliance on my behalf.”

Henry tried half-heartedly to pry her fingers away from his hand.

“What’s going on? What are they saying?” Jon screamed among the flurry of noise coming from the Paradoxans.

“Mother, I have to go. My sentence will be swift. It is better this way. I will not survive long here anyway.” Henry turned his back to his mother and was quickly surrounded by his surrogate family, now his executioners.

Before Hoshi could stand and push her way past them, the Paradoxans were surrounding her and touching her.
“If they kill you, they will kill me as well,” Hoshi whispered as she succumbed to the power entering her body.

***